Attendance and Nursery Sessions
The following sessions are available:
‘Funded Only Day’ 9:00am – 2:45pm
‘Full Day’ Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 5:30pm
‘Full Day’ Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm
‘School Day’ 9:00am – 3:00pm
There is the option to build onto the School Day if you wish.
We offer our sessions on an ‘all year round’ basis and this includes children attending for the Early Years Funding Entitlement.
There is a minimum requirement of two sessions per week for all children.
Nursery Fees
Nursery fees are calculated using an hourly rate.
£8.75 per hour – under 3 years old
£8 per hour – over 3 years old
£10 per hour – Premium hour for breakfast and tea 8:00am – 9:00am and 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Applying for the Early Years Funding Entitlement and Tax-Free Childcare
It is the responsibility of the parents/carers to apply for the additional funded hours (and reconfirm eligibility every 3 months).
The Childcare Choices website is a ‘one stop shop’ to help with this for parents and carers to enable families to access all the government childcare offers in one place. www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Which Sessions am I able to book to use my Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE)?
All Government Early Years funding is delivered between 9am-2:45pm at The Pink Cottage.
Funded sessions are available Monday – Friday, for a minimum of two days per week.
Government funding accepted –
- Local Authority (LA) issued 2-year-old EYFE
- Working Families EYFE 9mth – 4 years
Funding is ‘stretched’ over 49 weeks of the year at The Pink Cottage
Therefore 30 hours per week of funding = 23hrs per week
15 hours per week of funding = 11.5hrs per week
We are closed for all bank holidays, the period between Christmas and New Year and for one week in August before the bank holiday. The dates will be confirmed for you after your child has been enrolled. You will not be invoiced for these closures.
The four days after the bank holiday at the end of August are unfunded days, invoices will be sent for the full cost of your child’s care for these days.
Securing a Place and Administration Fee
Following your visit to The Pink Cottage, should you wish for your child to attend our setting, the first step is to complete a Registration Form and return it to the nursery manager. The manager will liaise with you to organise a place for your child.
To secure a place at nursery a non-refundable Retainer fee of £100 is required. Payment will be due before your child starts at The Pink Cottage.
We will offer and secure a place a maximum of one term in advance. This is the equivalent of 3 to 4 months in advance.
Should you wish to secure a place further in advance than one term (and if we are able to do so), full fees will be payable for the place, following the initial term.
If your child’s sessions are due to be funded solely by the early years funding entitlement, an Administration Fee will not be required.
There is a minimum requirement of two sessions per week for all children.
A non-refundable Administration Fee of £50 will be requested by The Pink Cottage, for families who may start solely on the funded hours, but then request to increase their hours at a later date, outside of The Pink Cottage’s delivery for funded hours.
Invoice
Nursery fee’s will be invoiced to you each month. You will always be paying for a month in advanced. Payment will be required on or before the first working day of each month.
Payments can be made through Bank transfer or cash handed into a member of staff. We ask that the envelope have written on it:
- Child’s name
- How much is enclosed
- Date
Consumable Charge
The Government funding rate we receive is only intended to cover the cost of the professional childcare your child receives. It does not cover the cost of the many other items we have to purchase and provide. Some examples of chargeable consumables include sun cream, nappy sacks, baby wipes, spare nursery nappies, tissues, fruit for snack and trips out in the local community.
We request that for each child a £10 consumable charge be added to your invoice each month. Your £10 per month is a contribution towards The Pink Cottage having a continuous supply of the consumables listed above.
You have the right to opt out of paying the £10 per month consumable charge. If this is the case, we must insist at you supply all your child’s spare nappies/pull-ups, their wipes, nappy cream, nappy sacks and sun cream. There will need to be a consistent supply in their bag or bulk supplied to us and we will store the items in a named basket which is used only for your child.
Two portions of snack will also need to be provided by you for each session your child attends. Please see our Lunch Policy for further information.
A full list of consumables can be found in our Consumables Policy and on The Pink Cottage website.
Sibling Discount
For two or more children attending nursery at the same time – 5% will be deducted from one child’s fees each month.
There will be no sibling discount if the eldest child is attending for funded hours only.
Breakfast
At The Pink Cottage we offer the children a choice of cereals and toast for breakfast. For special occasions or at the children’s request we can also offer waffles, pancakes or pastries. We serve breakfast between 8am – 9am each morning.
This hour is not covered by the Government funding.
Snack
Snack is offered every morning and afternoon. The children are given a choice of milk or water to drink. For children on a dairy free diet we can provide oat milk. The children help prepare fresh fruit in addition to either breadsticks, crackers, rice cakes, toast or crumpets.
Snack food is not covered by the Government funding.
We ask for food donations from families for snack time. It is a lovely task for the children to do whilst out shopping.
Nursery Lunches
We ask that parent/carers supply their child with a lunch box containing a varied and healthy meal and an ice pack. Unfortunately we cannot reheat meals and suggest a thermal flask be used to keep food warm.
Tea Time
Children staying within our care after 4pm will be served a hot meal which is cooked on site.
Tea is served between 4pm – 5pm each afternoon. This hour is not covered by the government funding.